Blue Jays Reinstate, Option Orelvis Martinez
The Blue Jays announced Tuesday that they've reinstated top prospect Orelvis Martinez from the restricted list and optioned him to their spring training complex. Daulton Varsho , who recently underwent shoulder surgery, was moved to the 60-day injured list to open a spot on the 40-man roster.
It's a procedural move. Martinez was hit with an 80-game PED suspension earlier this season and has completed that lengthy ban. Varsho's season is obviously over, so moving him to the 60-day injured list creates roster space in the short-term while kicking the more pressing decisions regarding 40-man openings down the road a bit. Varsho, Will Wagner Alek Manoah Jordan Romano will all need to be reinstated from the 60-day IL at the beginning of the offseason. Ryan Yarbrough reaching free agency will open one spot, but the Jays will need to open a trio of other spots, which will likely be accomplished by outrighting some fringe players.
Martinez, 22, appeared in just one major league game before his suspension was handed down. He's long rated among not just the top prospects in Toronto's system but in the entire sport. He posted a .267/.346/.523 slash in Triple-A this season before being called up — numbers that align neatly with the .263/.340/.507 line he put up in a half season of Triple-A games in 2023.
The 2024 season should have marked an opportunity for Martinez to establish himself as a key piece of the Jays' future. Toronto traded veterans like Isiah Kiner-Falefa Justin Turner at the deadline. Shortstop Bo Bichette has endured three different IL stints and will finish the season with only 81 games played. Instead, Martinez watched idly after testing positive for a banned substance, creating questions about his future both because he couldn't seize the opportunities that would've otherwise presented themselves and because PED bans naturally trigger questions about the legitimacy of prior performance.
